Assignment
Economie071, a collaboration of six municipalities (Leiden, Leiderdorp, Zoeterwoude, Voorschoten, Oegstgeest, and Katwijk), business associations, and educational and research institutions, asked RMC to develop a regional retail vision for the Leiden region. From RMC’s perspective, the primary focus should be on optimally serving the consumer. Retail areas need to focus on their function for the consumer: whether as a recreational, grocery, or goal-oriented shopping area.

Approach
The goal is to answer the question: how and where will consumers shop in 2025, and what does that mean for the development of the 41 retail areas in the Leiden region? This will be achieved through five key components:

• DNA of Retail Areas (BSR model of SmartAgent)
• RMC Benchmarking Method to compare retail areas objectively
• Current Footfall Flows measured through Wi-Fi sensors, to track visitor movement and exchanges between retail areas
• Vision on Retail Trends throughout the entire process
• Interactive Workshops where all stakeholders are involved, from analysis to conclusions

Result

• A retail structure for 2025 with decisions made for specific retail areas
• A vision for recreational, grocery, and goal-oriented shopping
• Regional-level political agreement on the Retail Vision Leiden Region 2025